Slide  1  

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  2  

Syntactic  system:  The  structure  of  language-­‐ the  rules  by  which  words  are  put  together  in  phrases  and  sentences  that  have  meaning  for  speakers.

Fountas and  Pinnell

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  3  “Because  most  teachers  are  fluent  users  of  English,  they  often  underestimate  the  impact  that  text  structure  has  on  the  processing  systems  ......”

Kelly  P.  R.,  English  Language  Learners  in  Primary  Classrooms:  Literacy  Assessment  and  Instruction  in  Achieving  Literacy  Success  with  English  Language  Learners,  RRCNA,  2009  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  4  

By  the  time  they  begin  to  learn  to  read,  most  children  have  developed  a  strong  inner  knowledge  of  the  structure  of  the  language  they  speak.

Fountas and  Pinnell

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  5  

Oral  language    responses  give  “the  linguistically  average  child….  Some  success  in  anticipating  what  kinds  of  words  are  likely  to  occur  in  a  text  and  in  detecting  reading  errors.”  

Clay  Observing  Young  Readers,  pg 30

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  6  

“The  powerful  systems  of  oral  language  serve  as  primary  resources  for  young  children  in  constructing  the  inner  control  that  is  involved  in  becoming  literate.”

Pinnell,  The  Language  Foundation  of  Reading  Recovery,

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  7  The  language  the  child  knows  is  “an  intimate  possession,  understood  by  loved  ones…  reflects  membership  of  a  particular  speech  group  and  identifies  them  with  that  group.  It  is  personal  and  valuable  and  not  just  an  incorrect  version  of  a  standard  dialect”

Becoming  Literate,  p.71

 

_  

Slide  8  

“Children  who  come  to  school  speaking  any  language  will  have  a  preparation  for  literacy  learning  that  is  to  be  valued,  whatever  the  prior  language  is.”

Clay,  Pt  1,  Literacy  Lessons

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  9  Research  is  clear  that  children  can  add  a  second  language  or  dialect    “with  relative  ease”

“They  are  lucky  to  be  learning  a  second  language”  or  dialect  “while  they  are  young  and  active  language  learners.”

Clay,  Pt  1,  Literacy  Lessons

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  10  

A  child  who  does  not  have  control  of  oral  language  patterns  or  has  little  experience  with  book  language  is  probably  less  able  to  predict  the  language  structures  in  books.

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  11  

Teachers  must  be  alert  to  the  newness  of  the  vocabulary  items  and  the  newness  of  the  grammatical  structures  in  which  they  occur.

Clay,  Literacy  lessons  PT  II,  p  122

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  12  “there  can  be  a  big  practical  payoff  in  talking,  writing  and  reading  if  we  understand  how  to  strengthen  children’s  control  over  the  structures  of  the  language  they  use.”

Clay    Talking,  reading  and  writing,  JRR  Spring  2004

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  13  Structure  is  an  important  source  of  information  in  learning  to  read.

Structure  provides  a  feed-­‐forward  and  a  feedback  mechanism  for  young  readers.

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  14  

“the  young  child’s  guesses  at  points  of  uncertainty  in  his  reading  tend  to  be  dominated  by  his  control  of  the  syntax  of  his  language.”

Observing  Young  Readers,    p  35  Clay,  1982

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  15  

Structure

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  16  

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  17  

What  do  we  need  to  do  to  support  the  learning  of  a  child  who  finds  structure  difficult?

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  18  Observe  the  child’s  language�Observe  the  child’s  conversation  with  the  teacher

�Observe  the  child’s  conversation  with  peers

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  19  What  kind  of  language  does  the  child  control�over  the  language  of  instruction?

�over  productive  language?

�over  receptive  language?

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  20  Careful  analysis  is  critical:

Analysis  of  initial  assessments

Analysis  of  readable  text

Analysis  of    daily  records  and  interactions

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  21  

Extra  information  might  be  useful:

The  Record  of  Oral  Language  

Notice  and  note  the  longest  sentence  used  by  the  child

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  22  

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  23  

Talk  is  important

“To  foster  oral  language  development,  create  opportunities  for  them  to  talk,  and  then  talk  with  them  not  at  them.”

Clay,  1991,  p  69  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  24  

“The  teacher  in  conversation  with  the  child  creates  opportunities  for  the  child  to  talk….”

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  25  

Careful  book  selections  make  a  difference.

What  would  you  be  considering  as  you  choose  books  for  a  child  who  finds  structure  tricky?

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  26  

I  like  running.

I  like  to  eat  honey.

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  27  

The  dog  is  here.Here  is  a  cat.

Here  comes……Come  here….

Come  on

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  28  

• Not  just  about  the  known  words  in  text  but  also                                                                                                                      

• About  the  level  of  complexity  in  language  structures  that  the  child  controls  

Clay,  2005,  p.  90

Choice  of  a  new  text

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  29  How  will  you  know  what  structures  the  child  can  control?

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  30  Notice  and  build  on  the  structures  that  the  child  controls  in  reading.

Know  which  are  new  structures  that  this  child  has  not  met  before.

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  31   Think  about  which  language  structures  are  easier  to  learn:

-­‐ Some  verbs  are  hard  (can,  could,  did,  will,  might are  learned  slowly)

-­‐ Adjectives  in  the  noun  phrase  come  later  in  language  acquisition

-­‐ Question  words  (where,  what,  who,  are  easy;  why,  how,  when are  harder)  

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  32  

Careful  book  introductions  make  a  difference.

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  33  “that keeping children in control of their learning requires that they be set up to encounter manageable problems that they can solve or partially solve alone or with support.

the teacher’s job is “arranging for the problem to be manageable…”

P.  Johnston,  2005  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  34  The  introduction  is  particularly  important  for  the  child  who  does  not    have  good  control  of  language.

…….introduce  into  her  talk  any  concept,  or  word  or  phrase  structure  she  has  not  heard  the  child  use.

Literacy  Lessons,  Part  2,  p  91

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  35  As  you read  the  book  consider;� the  structures  this  child  controls  or  that  are  new

�New  or  known  vocabulary� the  words  this  child  knows�what  this  book  is  really  about�And  most  importantly  the  opportunities  this  text  provides  for  this  child’s  learning

then decide  how  to  introduce  the  text.

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  36  

You  can  foster  and  support  increasing  awareness  of    and  use  of  structure  as  a  source  of  information  through  the  teaching  you  do.

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  37  

We  tend  to  want  to  focus  on  the  missed  visual  information  rather  than  ‘hearing’  the  problem.

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  38  

“make  sure  the  child  can  hear  a  distinction  or  difference…..  Before  you  try  to  teach  him  to  see  a  difference”

Clay  Literacy  Lessons,  Pt I,  p  38

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  39  

How  would  your  teaching  change  over  time?

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  40  �You  might  ignore  the  issue  in  the  beginning  if  it  is  a  problem  with  endings

�You  might  acknowledge  the  meaning  intent  and  provide  the  correct  language  

�You  might  use  a  prompt  –can  we  say  it  that  way?  Does  that  sound  right?  rhetorically  and  provide  the  answer  yourself

�You  might  use  a  prompt  and  expect  the  child  to  be  able  to  act

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  41  

Writing  is  a  place  to  also  teach  about  structure.

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  42  

BUT  early  on  Clay  says  this  is  not  a  time  to  correct  grammar

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  43  

LATER   the  teacher  may  suggest  how  the  sentence    structure  could  be  changed

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

Slide  44  Summary�Remember  to  work  on  hearing  before  seeing

�Work  on  structure  from  the  beginning  in  reading  but  how  you  work  will  change

�Producing  correct  structure  for  your  self  is  harder  and  will  tend  to  be  later  in  writing

 

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________  

___________________________________